On the his 22nd birthday, top prospect Wilmer Flores is due to join the Mets today for his major league debut, presumably at third base, where he has started the past three games for Triple-A Las Vegas. Flores will wear uniform #4 which is what he’s worn the majority of his minor league career with the Mets.

Flores could be the second player this season whose major league debut will be made as a start on his birthday. The other was David Adams, who went 1-for-4 for the New York Yankees against the Seattle Mariners on May 15. Also, he would join pitcher John Pacella as the only Met to debut on their birthday.

The Rockies arrive at Citi Field having lost six of seven games during the first two stops on their road trip, at Atlanta and Pittsburgh. Since the All-Star break, Colorado pitchers have a 5.11 ERA.

Jenrry Mejia will take the mound for the third time this season—and will look to produce a third straight quality start—when he starts for the Mets on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Rockies at Citi Field. Mejia, who missed the first half of the season with elbow inflammation, was activated from the 60-day disabled list for what was supposed to be a spot start against the Nationals on July 26.

But the Mets made room for him permanently by moving to a six-man rotation after he threw seven shutout innings in an 11-0 win. Mejia took the defeat in his most recent start last Wednesday, when he allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four over six innings in the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Marlins.

Mejia is 1-1 this season over two starts with a 2.08 ERA over 13.0 innings. More specifically, after tossing a seven innings of shutout ball in his first start, in his second start he allowed 3 ER over 6 innings, which is still quality. He has faced the Rockies for one inning of relief where he allowed 1 ER over 1 inning of work. Only three current Rockies have faced him (Tulo, Helton, Fowler) and they are all 0-1.

My name is Elliot and I’ve been writing the Game Preview posts at MMO since 2008. I am excited to be back sharing my thoughts with you. When I’m not watching the Mets, I’m a Physics Teacher in Newark, NJ and writing about the Mets at 213 Miles From Shea. LGM!